Mail-box.



Ai B. RHODES. MAIL Box. APPLICATION FILED EEB. 10, 190B.

898,507. Patented sept. 15,1908.

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ALBERT B. RHODES, OF MARION, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification-of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1.5, 1908.

Application led February 10, 1908. Serial No. 415,042.l

a citizen of the Un-ited States, residing at Marion, in the county ofMarion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements inI Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to the improvement of mail boxes and has particularrelation to that class of mail boxes with which are connected means foroperating a signal when mail is placed in the box and the objects of myinvention are to provide an improved mail box of this class of superiorconstruction and arrangement of parts; to provide improved means forringing a signal bell when the lid of the box is opened for theinsertion of mail toprovide improved means for unlocking the front doorof the box from the interior of the house on the outer side of whichsaid box is supported and to produce other improvements which will bemore -fully pointed outhereinafter. These objects I accomplish in themanner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved mail box and asection of the house wall to which the same is secured, Fig. 2 is anenlarged front elevation of the bell ringing mechanism as displayed whenthe front door of the box is opened, and, Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional View on line :Jpc-:c of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents a mail box which is formed of any suitable material andwhich is provided with a vertical back plate 2 which is adapted to besecured to the wall of a building or suitable exterior framework. j

3 represent the sides of the box and 4 the front plate thereof whichextends upward from the bottom of the box to a point in the lower halfthereof, at which point said box front has hinged thereto as indicatedat 5, a front door plate 6 which extends upward to the top of the box.

The upper side of the box is provided with a cover or lid 7 which ishinged at its inner end as shown at 8 to the upper end of the rear wallplate 2. Beneath the lid 7 and in the upper part of the box, I provide aixed shield plate 9 which extends from the rear wall or back plate ofthe box forward and thence downward, being in contact in its outerportion with the curved upper portion of a plate 10 which is supportedin the direction of the width of the box by suitable bracket arms 11,one of which is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and which bracket armsare connected with the front door 6 of the box. With the inner face ofthe plate 10 is connected the end portions of a keeper-shaped bracket12, the opposite ends of said bracket being provided with openings, oneof which is indicated at 12a. Extending between the sides 3 of the boxand projecting forwardly from the rear wall thereof is a iixed crosspiece 13 and supported in a front recess of said cross piece is avertical sheath or casing 14, the latter having the central portion ofits forward side open, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. Within thissheath or guide casing, I -provide a vertically sliding plate 15, thisplate having formed centrally therein a zigzag mortise or slot 16 whichextends from the bottom of the plate to a point in the' upper portionthereof. The plate 15 is supported by the lower end of a rod 17, theupper end of which has a pivotal connection with the underside of thebox lid 7, said rod 17 passing through a slotted opening 9'dL in theshield plate 18 represents a bell ringing rod, which passing looselythrough an opening 19 formed through the house wall 20 has its innerportion bearing rotatably in an opening formed in the upper portion ofthe cross piece 13. The outer end portion of the rod 18 is provided witha terminal crank bend, as shown, the outwardly projecting terminal arm18a of which enters the zigzag slot or mortise 16 of the plate 15. Theinner termination of the rod 18 which is on the inner side of the houseWall, is in the form of a bell crank and carries a bell tapper 18h, thelatter projecting within a suitable bell body 21 which issu ported fromthe inner wall surface of the liouse.

To the upper side of the cross piece 13 and on opposite sides of thesheath 14 are pivoted opposing catch iingers 22, the rear ends of saidcatch l'ingers which are turned toward each other being pivotallyconnected with the outer ends of short rods or links 23, the remainingends of which are hooked into the eye-piece 24 which is formed on theouter end of a rod 25, said rod 25 extending rearward through the wallopening 19 and carrying on its inner or rear end a suitable push button25fL which is reciprocally mounted in a button supporting plate 25hattached to the inner wall surface of the house. The outer terminals ofthe catch lingers 22 are in the form of inturned ,hooks 22, these hooksnormally engaging the openings 12 in the ends of the keeper 11, saidhooks being assured in this connection through the medium of a spring 26which connects the 'finger pieces 22 and tends to draw their outer endstoward each other.

To the lower part of the box front, I may secure a suitable form ofnewspaper engaging hook 27.

In inserting the mail in the box, the carrier lifts the lid 7 depositingthe mail matter in the box in such manner that it will travel downwardbetween the plate 10 and the fiont door of the box. In thus raising thelid 7, it is obvious that the rod 17 will be moved upwaid, with theresult that a corresponding upward sliding movement will be imparted tothe plate 15 and the further result that the end 18L of the bell ringingrod will be transferred successivelT from one arm to another of thezigzag slot 16, resulting in a vibratory motion being imparted to therod 18 and in a consequent tapping action of the bell tapper 18b againstthe bell 21, thus ringing an alarm on the interior ofthe house,indicating that the lid of the mail box has been raised and that mailmatter has been deposited therein.

It is obvious that when the lid is returned to its closed position, theplate 15 will slide downward and the end 181L ofthe rod 18 will bereturned to its position in the upper portion of the zigzag slot. Theoccupant of the house thus being informed that mail matter has beendeposited within the box, presses the button 25a inward with the resultthat the rod 25 is moved inward and the inner ends of the catch fingers22 are swung inward and forward, resulting in a disengagement of thecatch finger hooks 22a with the openings of the keeper 12 therebypermitting the front door 6 of the box to drop open to permit theremoval of the mail therefrom. When said front doorA is again closed, itis obvious that the inclined ends of the keeper 12, will come intocontact with the inclined hook members 22a forcing saidhook lingersapart until they are through tension of the spring 26 again drawn intoengagement with the openings of s'aid keeper.

It will readily be seen that my improved means for sounding an alarm onthe raising of the lid of the box and for locking and unlocking thefront door of the box, are simple in construction and such as to insurea positive operation of the parts.

What I claim, is:

1. In a mail box, the combination with a box having a movable lid anddoor, of a slid'ably supported plate having a zigzag slot therein, a roddepending from said lid and engaging said plate, and a bell ringing rodrotatably mounted and having one of its ends en gaging loosely saidzigzag s lot.

2. In a mail box, the combination with a box having a movable lid and adoor hinged to the front of the box, and a catch projection on the innerface of said door, of spring actuated pivoted catch lingers the outerends of which are adapted to engage said door catch projection, and arod having a jointed connection with the inner ends of said catchfingers and extending through the rear wall of the box.

8. In a mail box, the combinationwitli a box having a movable lid anddoor, a catch projection on said door, spring actuated catch fingerspivoted within the box and adapted to engage the catch projection of thedoor, and means for releasing said catch fingers, of a slidablysupported plate having a zigzag slot therein, a rod connecting saidplate and box lid, and a rotatably mounted bell ringing rod extendingthrough the back of said box and having one end engaging said zigzagslot.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

ALBERT B. RHODES.

Witnesses C. C. SHEPHERD, A. Ii. PnnLPs.

